Our charity is currently governed by six members of Management Committee who combine roles of company directors and charity trustees. They hold the overall responsibility for running of our organisation.

Staff

Barbara Drozdowicz – CEO

Barbara has an extensive experience in the charitable sector, having started in European structural projects in Poland and the first re-settlement programme for Polish rough sleepers reconnected from London. She moved to the UK 8 years ago and have continued her involvement in the voluntary sector and civil society in fundraising and management positions. As a university student she was volunteering in a number of humanitarian education projects and spent summers in transit refugee camps in Switzerland. She graduated from Anthropology and Political Science and currently she works towards MBA qualification. She hopes that one day all European migrants in the UK will be treated as equal residents, with their rights, traditions and wishes respected and fulfilled.

Dana Jozefkowicz –Senior Welfare & Immigration Adviser

Dana is an experienced senior welfare and OISC-accredited immigration adviser. She joined EERC in 1989 and is the member of staff who works for it the longest. Dana gained her education in Poland. She has a Master degree in Economics from Warsaw’s SGPiS and a degree in bookkeeping. She came to UK in September 1981 and worked for the British Refugee Council and the Sikorski’s Museum before joining the EERC. For the last three years she was running a Project dedicated to our senior residents, the elderly Eastern Europeans living in London. Her biggest wish is to see all older East Europeans having equal access to support and health services and none of them dying of isolation, cold or hunger.

Malgosia Pakulska – Senior Welfare & Housing Adviser

Malgosia is an experienced adviser specialising in welfare, housing, debt and prevention of homelessness and an officer responsible for quality assurance. She’s been with the EERC since 2009 and started as our volunteer to progress into a senior advisory role. Before the EERC, Malgosia worked in Hammersmith & Fulham CAB where she achieved full Senior Adviser qualifications. She’s lived in London for 35 years and for all this time she’s been actively involved with the Polish community and in the British civil society. In the EERC she continuously fights for equal treatment of EEA nationals and that they have the same access to welfare and social rights as other British residents.

Kasia Zagrodniczek –Information Campaign Coordinator

Kasia has an extensive experience in outreach, community engagement and project management. In the EERC she coordinates the information campaign on labour, welfare and other rights of the EU nationals living in the UK and is an officer responsible for volunteering management. Kasia has been in London for 11 years. She was engaged in various projects focusing on the most disadvantaged Eastern Europeans. She has a Master Degree in International Relations from Goldsmiths, University of London. Prior to that she graduated from Law in Poland. Kasia wants to see all Eastern European workers being treated fairly and exploitation moved to history.

Ula Skiba – Project Support Officer

Ula was born and raised in Poland. She graduated from Social Sciences and for few years moved abroad taking part in international development projects in Turkey and Tunisia, youth projects in Denmark and Bulgaria) and professional development courses in Italy and Austria. She sees travelling as a combination of helping others, gaining skilling and exploring different cultures.

Florina Tudose – Information and Outreach Coordinator

Florina is an experienced communicator, with over 10 years working in both profit and nonprofit sectors as a project manager and creative. She came to London 7 years ago from Romania to study and got a Masters Degree in International Development and Human Rights from Goldsmiths, University of London. Since 2014, Florina became involved in projects supporting migrant rights, as a mentor for young migrants and asylum seekers, helping them to settle in London. She loves London’s great diversity and wants to see all migrants being treated equally and living peacefully in this great city.

Current volunteers

The team is completed by our great volunteers who devote their time, knowledge and skills to help us achieve our mission. We encourage enthusiastic, like-minded people who want to devote their skills and energy to helping Eastern European Londoners to join our team of volunteers – if you are one of these great people check out our current volunteering opportunities.

Adrian

Adrian was born in Poland and spent most of his life there before moving to the UK to start his education at the secondary school after which he continued to study A-Levels. Having just recently finished a degree in Computer Games Programming at Teesside University, he is on his way to find new experiences and goals in life.

Agnieszka

Agnieszka currently lives in Poland but has been a British resident for almost 10 years. She has BA in Education Studies at Middlesex University and MA in Applied Translation from London Metropolitan University. She started her volunteering experience to make a difference and helping Eastern European communities in London seemed like the right choice. Having lived in UK, she’s familiar with the culture, everyday life and Eastern European immigrants’ needs.

Ania

Anna was born and raised in Poland. In the past 7 years she has been involved in a number of projects dedicated to help East European expats to live and work in the United Kingdom. Mainly, she had been preparing leaflets, catalogues and brochures which raise awareness of different aspects of living in the UK including employment rights, housing, transportation, health care and free legal assistance. In EERC Ania helps us to create publicity materials for the Living Rights project.

Aurelia:

Originally from Bucharest, Romania, Aura is a Chemistry graduate and Economic Science graduate with a diverse professional background. After graduating from Chemistry, she was teacher for same period of time, and after graduating from Economic Science she started working within the FMCG sector in Romania. She has experience in coaching, training, HR and project management. From 2015 she made a move to London having started working in Construction Project Management. She is creative, inspiring and convincing, determined and passionate, and she want to be involved in several social campaigns trying to help people to make a positive change in areas such personal development. In EERC Aurelia helps to reach out to Romanian nationals.

Barbara

Barbara was born and raised in Poland. After completing MA in Administrative Law and Psychology of Social Communications course she moved to London to work and continue study. She graduated from MA Media and Communications at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Barbara has a broad experience of supporting disadvantaged people, including deaf blind as she knows Polish Sign Language and Eastern Europeans living in the UK. As a volunteer she helps with photo coverage of the events organised by EERC.

Bianca

Bianca is originally from Romania and has recently finished her Master’s Degree in Public Relations at the University of Greenwich. She is an experienced communicator, but also loves taking photos and to capture candid moments. At the moment, she is volunteering with a couple of organisations and has helped them to promote their events and campaigns. She has joined EERC as a mentor for disadvantaged Eastern Europeans because she wants to make a positive contribution by helping others.

Georgiana

Georgiana is originally from Bucharest, Romania, and was raised in several countries, including Hungary, the US and Egypt. She is currently working a Senior Analyst with a London-based market research company and has a background in social anthropology and cultural. Georgiana’s day to day work is centred around primary qualitative research such as depth interviews and focus groups and she has worked in a range of diverse sectors from mutual insurance societies to government charities and the leisure sector. Georgiana is involved in our Living Rights project and is interested in the status and social welfare of Eastern European migrant workers in the UK in the current socio-political climate.

Indre

Indre was born and raised in Lithuania. She graduated from Law and Medical Law for her Master’s degree and worked for 6 years in Lithuanian health care system regulation. She moved to UK in 2010 and worked as research analyst for a media company. She currently volunteers for EERC and studies to become a legal secretary. She hopes her volunteering in translation of legal information and adapting it to plain language will educate vulnerable people and help them avoid mistreatment, fraud and violation of their rights.

Iulia

Iulia is originally from Bucharest. At the age of 18 she went to Spain to study and 5 years later she moved to London to continue her studies. She graduated an MA in Intelligence and International Security from King´s College London. IN the past she volunteered for several other organisations, including Save the Children and AIESEC.

Justyna

Justyna comes from Warsaw, Poland where she lived for most of her life. She came to London to study Applied Medical Sciences at University College London and she’s currently in her 1st year. Outside of study, her biggest passion is travelling and exploring new places and cultures. Having a mixed Polish-Greek origin, she has always recognized the value of intercultural exchange. She believes it to be an important aspect of our work with Eastern European communities, as well as a truly enriching part of the volunteering experience. Justyna has joined EERC just recently and is now settling into, currently helping out at our office. Through volunteering with us she hopes to make her contribution to our mission of creating a welcoming, supporting environment with a real impact on the lives of disadvantaged Eastern Europeans.

Magda

Magda moved to London from Poland nearly 11 years ago. She’s been working in education and volunteering for different charity organisations offering advice, translation and interpreting services. She’s a qualified math teacher and tutor working full time with students of different cultural backgrounds and educational needs. Her ambition is to open a school to allow East Europeans achieve their desired level of education. In the meantime, she completed Level 3 Certificate in Community Interpreting and is studying towards Level 6 Diploma in Public Services Interpreting and MA Leading Inclusive Education. Magda started volunteering with us in summer 2015 helping to translate fact files into Polish language and make the information about the available services accessible to non-English speakers.

Marian

Originally from Brasov, Romania Marian is a Social Science graduate with a diverse professional background. After graduating he started working within the banking sector in Romania, after which he moved abroad and worked as a Logistics Coordinator in Doha. He then made a move to London a year ago and started working in Social Research and Operations Management. For the last few years Marian has been involved in several environmental and social campaigns trying to help bring about change in areas of interest such as environmental protection, food waste and social inequality.

Oliver

Born in former Yugoslavia and raised in Macedonia, Oliver spent many years in Bulgaria. Between 2003 and 2009 he travelled Europe staying in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Croatia and Slovenia. Oliver graduated from Law in Skopie University and completed apprentice placement in a legal firm while volunteering in Unija (Union) 2000 – non-governmental human rights organisation. Oliver has lived in London for 4 years and currently works in the hospitality industry providing services for a well-known international company. Oliver can speak all Southern Slavonic languages. He is interested in economic, social and cultural rights and European history and the history of its migration. Oliver is now involved in the Living Rights project where he’s responsible for outreach and events for the Bulgarian community in London.

Sara:

Sara was born and raised in Poland. In London, she has been studying Law degree at Middlesex University. She has an experience working as a volunteer in Poland and she wants to transfer those skills to the British land. Even though she moved only in 2015, she is very aware of doubts and fears people face on the day to day basis. She hopes to help with her legal knowledge to those who need it the most. She wants to be a part of the EERC to contribute her skills and knowledge.

Sorin

Born and raised in Romania, Sorin studied Economics, Political Science, and Maths at Harvard University in the US. After graduating, he worked as a research analyst for hedge funds in New York and London before deciding to focus on civil society and volunteering in the charity sector. Sorin is currently a campaign coordinator for the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, a volunteer math tutor with The Access Project, a mentor for NEET 18-24 year olds with 2nd Chance, and an admissions interviewer with the Harvard Club of the UK. Sorin is involved in the Employment Rights Campaign and the Living Rights Project, coordinating outreach and leading information sessions for the Romanian community in London.

Tatyana

Tatyana was born and raised in Bulgaria. She has been living in the UK for 6 years and have met many Bulgarians at university but she’s been involved with the Bulgarian community in the UK mainly through activities that promote Bulgarian rich culture and folklore. She joined as our volunteer because she embraces our mission of improving individuals’ lives and the community as a whole. She’s now involved in the Employment Rights Campaign and the Living Rights project, coordinating outreach and leading information sessions for Bulgarians in London.

Tibor

Originally from Budapest, Tibor made the move to London in 2004 and has worked in the operations side of the high-end events industry ever since arriving. A part of his remit over the years has been the hiring and working with the large amount of casual labour that this industry utilises, much of it eastern European. Therefore, he has found himself acting, oftentimes, as a mentor and even protector of those who, sometimes not understanding the system and the language, were quite vulnerable. Offering his skills to EERC through volunteering seems a logical next step.

Past volunteers

Alicja

Alicja volunteered with us for many years and became a core member of our team. She was born and raised in Poland and she’s been in London for over 20 years. Woman of many talents and unlimited energy, Alicja has been a befriender visiting our older beneficiaries, an assistant to the team and an all-round office volunteer. Alicja cares strongly about all Eastern Europeans who are isolated with their problems and have no hope for tomorrow. Her volunteering service with us was a contribution to the world being a happier place for all our isolated, lonely community members in London. We are deeply grateful for Alicja’s energy, time and passion and we will miss her in our office. Who knows, maybe she’d come back one day?

Romana:

Born and raised in the Czech Republic, Romana studies Law at university in London. She has been living in the UK for over 4 years, learning about a British culture while keeping in touch with the Czech and Slovak community. Romana is currently interested in expanding her knowledge on the legal aspects living in the UK: European law, immigration and culture promoting. She also volunteers at Shelter charity which focuses on housing for people in need. In the EERC Romana helps with reaching out to the Czech and Slovak communities.

Gabor

Gabor was born and raised in Hungary. He arrived to the UK in 2008, and lived in Bath where he worked in the health care industry. He moved to London in 2013 to start his BA Politics and International Relations degree at the University of Westminster. He wrote his dissertation about the difficulties that Central Eastern European migrants, and specigfically the Hungarian diaspora, face in the UK. Gabor continues his academic involcement at the University College London from September 2017 where he starts an MSc Social and Cultural Anthropology degree. In EERC Gabor supports our outreach to the Hungarian community in London.

Nerijus

Nerijus comes from Lithuania and has lived in London for 10 years. He is a law graduate and has previously volunteered in the public service and non-governmental organisations in the UK and abroad. He utilises this experience to research legal and policy developments; currently being interested how Brexit will affect the lives of Eastern Europeans in the UK. Nerijus is our Community Champion responsible for outreach to Lithuanian community.